


Take It Easy

by wine_and_song_and_stars



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Brother Feels, Caring Loki, Common Cold, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Sickfic, Whump, sick!Thor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-11 19:39:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15322809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wine_and_song_and_stars/pseuds/wine_and_song_and_stars
Summary: Thor has a bit of a cold and doesn't know what to do about it. Luckily, there is always someone looking out for him.





	Take It Easy

**Author's Note:**

> This little fic takes place in a nebulous future where Loki and Thor are living and fighting with the Avengers. It is pure fluff, no plot, so I didn't bother to summarize how they got there. Feel free to pick your preferred mind canon explanation. =)

Thor’s whole body aches. Banner described the illness he is currently experiencing as a “bad cold,” which Thor attributes to the awful chills that periodically snake their way into his shoulders and limbs. However, this description does not account for the painful pressure behind his eyes or the burn of his throat whenever he tries to swallow.

By far the most frustrating aspect of this sickness, though, is that despite all the pain and exhaustion, it seems the social norm for regaining one’s health is simply to continue on with one’s daily routine but with a lot more of the awful herbal tea Pepper keeps bringing to Thor whenever she hears him cough. It has been suggested several times that he “take it easy,” but Thor is unsure what that phrase actually signifies besides staying home from the recon mission that most of the Avengers, including Loki, had embarked on that morning.

Thor tries to be helpful during the morning hours. Banner has also stayed in Stark tower, preferring to transform only when absolutely necessary, and Thor tasks himself with handing the scientist things in the lab as he works. However, after an hour of Banner wiping down every tool Thor touches with cleaning wipes, he gives the same suggestion that has been offered to Thor many times in the last couple days. This seems more of a dismissal than anything else, so Thor takes the offensive mug of tea and heads back to his room.

For a while, he tries to read or study tactical plans, but his brain will not focus. The pressure behind his eyes makes everything more difficult, including thinking. Eventually he gives up and supposes that the “easiest” thing he can do is just sit still for a while. He isn’t sure how else to occupy himself until the team gets back, so he presses the heels of his hands against his eyes and settles in at his desk.

Thor does not realize he has fallen asleep until he is woken up by someone pulling his arm over their shoulder and easing him out of the chair. He opens his eyes blearily to find his brother bearing most of his weight and guiding him towards the bed.

“Loki?” he asks thickly.

“Yes, you idiot,” replies his brother, and although the words are mocking, there is a kindness to them, the insult spoken like an endearment. “These humans seem to think you will just recover on your own from this malady, but clearly they don’t realize that you are stubborn enough to keep working until you drive yourself into the ground.” Loki eases Thor onto the bed. “So take off your shoes and lay down. You need rest if you are going to heal.”

It suddenly occurs to Thor that “take it easy” is one of those Midgardian idioms and perhaps resting was what he was supposed to be doing all along. He toes off his shoes as Loki instructed, grateful that he chose to wear a soft t-shirt and pants today instead of his usual Asgardian dress. Loki has arranged Thor’s pillows into a mound against which he can lean. Their support allows the aching muscles in his shoulders to release and a small moan escapes his lips at this minor but welcome relief.

Loki hides a little smile at this reaction and picks up the mug that was sitting on Thor’s desk. He sniffs it and then crinkles his nose in disgust. “What is this awful stuff?” He waves a hand and with a small flash of seidr the liquid in the cup goes from room temperature to steaming and its aroma improves significantly.

Loki presses the warm cup into Thor’s hands, and Thor is thrilled to discover that his brother has transformed the foul tea into a mug of Asgardian mulled wine, the same drink his mother had brought him when he was ill as a child. He closes his eyes and sips gratefully. Each drink markedly eases the pain in his throat, and it occurs to him that Loki has added a healing spell to the beverage.

Thor opens his eyes to thank his brother, and catches Loki in a rare moment of genuine affection. Loki’s smile is kind and relaxed as he watches Thor enjoy the wine. As soon as he realizes Thor is observing him, though, his face twists into its usual smug mask and he turns away to straighten the papers on his brother’s desk.

“You should consider tidying up after yourself once in a while,” Loki chides, trying to cover up the flash of sincerity in which Thor caught him. Thor hides the little smirk that threatens to creep across his own face. There have been many moments like this one since he brought Loki to live and work with him at Stark tower: moments where he has seen the love and fierce loyalty the god of mischief still bares for his brother. Thor usually lets them pass by unacknowledged since he knows Loki would rather take a dagger to the stomach than let another person see him laid bare without his smug facade. This time, though, he cannot help but express his gratitude.

“Thank you, Loki. For once I’m very grateful that you always know how to put me in my place.” Thor tries to keep the tone light to bring Loki’s guard down, and it succeeds.

Loki turns and comes back to perch on the edge of Thor’s bed. His expression stays carefully set in a sneer, although his eyes are clear and flick over his brother’s face and posture, taking in any signs of discomfort.

He rests his fingers against Thor’s neck. “You’re quite feverish,” he informs his brother. Loki’s expression does not change, but with a flick of his wrists his hands shift ever so slightly in hue. He lays one on Thor’s forehead and slides the other in to press against the back of his brother’s neck.

Thor had not given the mild fever much thought, but Loki’s hands have become the temperature of a chilled towel and the cool pressure against his brow and neck leaches the excess heat away from his face. He lets out another little moan of relief and relaxes fully against the pillows. Loki’s cool fingers gently massage his neck, dissipating the stiffness there and the headache radiating up from the base of his skull. Despite the cold temperature of Loki’s hands, the rest of Thor’s body has become comfortably warm, any semblance of a chill banished. Thor can feel himself becoming drowsy, and he knows Loki’s healing spells are doing their work to comfort him and restore him to health 

“Loki,” he starts, meaning to thank his brother again, but Loki shushes him gently.

“If you tell anyone I was kind to you, I will make sure everything you drink forevermore tastes like that gods-forsaken tea.” Loki speaks playfully and his expression is soft. He removes his hand briefly from Thor’s forehead to slide the mug out of his hands and place it on the bedside table. “It will still be hot when you’re ready for more,” he says in a low voice. 

Thor watches his little brother as his vision becomes pleasantly blurry. Loki continues to cool Thor’s brow with one hand and, when he thinks his older brother has drifted into sleep, brings the other up to Thor’s cheek and strokes it with his thumb to ease the red flush there.

“Sleep well and heal, brother,” Loki whispers. Thor can tell that he is not supposed to have heard this endearment, so he keeps his face neutral, but the gentleness of Loki’s words does nearly as much as the spells to comfort him as he slips into a peaceful sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm still very new here as a writer, so encouragement really means the world to me. I'm also curious about how to become more involved with the community, so any advice in that direction would be lovely, as well!


End file.
